He was going to give her a perfect—and memorable—Valentine’s Day.
Jack was wrist deep in pancake batter when the phone rang. He quickly snatched it up before it could wake Mary. Five minutes later, he was cursing as he hung up. Somehow the roses he’d ordered had been delivered to the wrong house, and the woman who’d received them had been so overjoyed that her husband had begged the delivery guy to pretend he’d brought them to the right house. The florist promised to bring Mary’s roses soon…that was, if they could locate another supply of them.
A beat later, the rain that had been threatening all night long started coming down, along with a harsh wind. So much for the romantic boat ride. Neither of them would enjoy turning green around the gills.
Okay, so he’d make sure to serve her the best pancakes in the world, and then he’d improvise the rest.
Fifteen minutes and a dozen inedible pancakes later—why the heck wouldn’t the darned batter cooperate?—Mary walked into the kitchen.
Her eyes went wide at the unexpected—and enormous—mess. “Jack, if you were hungry, you could have woken me up to make you pancakes.”
“I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed for Valentine’s Day.” He pulled one of the awful things from the frying pan and held it up.
His wife always took his breath away, but never more than when she was gazing at him with such love in her eyes.
“Oh, Jack, they’re shaped like hearts. That’s so sweet.”
Frustration at all of his grand plans giving way to disaster had him blurting out in full detail just how wrong the morning—and his plans for the rest of the day—had already gone.
Mary threw back her head and laughed. “What a spectacular mess.”
Though he was just starting to see the humor in it himself, he needed her to know the truth. “This was supposed to be the most romantic day of your life.”
Still laughing, she drew him close. “Roses and heart-shaped pancakes and boat rides are all wonderful, and I love the care and thought that you put into today, but do you want to know what I find really romantic?”
He could never think straight when she was in his arms, and it took all the focus he could muster up to answer, “Tell me, Angel.”
“First, there’s the way you bring me coffee in the morning.”
He reminded her, “It’s cold before you can even take your first sip because I can’t keep my hands off you long enough to let you drink it hot.”“See what I mean? Very romantic,” she said as she nuzzled closer. “And then there’s the way you always give me the best seat at the movies and have them douse the popcorn with butter and salt because you know it’s my favorite guilty pleasure…apart from you.” She gently brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I love the way you always hold my hand when we go for a walk, and how you look at me like you can’t believe I’m yours. And then there’s the fact that every single day we’ve spent together has been the most romantic day of my life.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him, and a breath before her lips met his, she whispered, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
March
Sales of the Pocket Planner had been spectacular during the Christmas holiday and had kept climbing from there. While the press was still interested in Mary and Jack’s fairy-tale love story, lately they’d been even more interested in what his next brilliant invention would be.
Mary loved watching his brain work as he focused intently in his office. Despite his heavy workload, he’d been a wonderfully devoted husband. Still, in the past two months she’d learned that a little seduction could be a very valuable way to help Jack’s synapses click back into gear when he got stuck on a problem.
She was nearly on his lap by the time he looked up and noticed her. For a moment, his eyes remained unfocused, then quickly turned dark and heated with desire.
“Just what I needed,” he murmured as he tugged her onto his lap. “Beautiful inspiration.”
Her short, silky robe slipped open as she wrapped her arms around him. He traced the swell of her br**sts with his fingertip. “So pretty.” He leaned in to the curve of her neck and breathed her in. “So sweet.” He pressed his lips to her earlobe. “So soft.”
Mary had come into his office to tempt and tease Jack for a few minutes…but within seconds, he was the one seducing her.
She’d never known husbands and wives could continue to have such naughty sex, but as Jack stripped her robe away completely, lifted her up onto his desk and entered her with one perfect thrust, she quickly—and blissfully—learned otherwise.
“Now, that,” he said as he gathered her close a while later and carried her into their bedroom to continue the seduction started in his office, “is the perfect way to end a workday.”
She pulled him down with her onto the bed and agreed, “Absolutely perfect.”
April
The teddy bear was squashed between Jack and Max as the two men hugged. “Congratulations, Max.”
After Mary congratulated Max, as well, Jack’s brother said, “I can’t wait for the two of you to meet my new little boy.” He looked both exhausted and ecstatic as he took them back into the maternity ward.
As soon as they walked into Claudia’s room, Ian immediately bounded off the bed and into Jack’s arms. “I’m a big brother.”